The Reginald Theatre downstairs at the Seymour Centre is hosting a quite wonderful new exploration of J M Barrie’s classic text Peter and Wendy this month by independent theatre company Little Eggs Collective.Â
It’s a 60-minute immersive experience, there’s not really much seating and you are free to wander the space to get the best vantage point as the tale unfolds around you. Entering through a silver tunnel into a rather club-like atmosphere, the audience sees the cast dancing on a podium, setting the mood for what’s to come.
Directors Craig Baldwin and Eliza Scott weave music, song, dance, movement, spoken word and performance art into this surprisingly touching piece that, as the title suggests, focuses more on what it means to be ‘lost’ than the mere mechanics of Barrie’s plot.
Yes, we are occasionally presented with imagery we can recognise from the well-known story and mermaids and pirates and the like, but it is in a very dreamlike collage of vignettes that move around the space.
This is no children’s story, rather a memory play that calls forth our own response of what it felt like to grow up and the level to which we felt we belonged.
The company is energetic, talented and quirky in all the right ways, showcasing their fine vocal and movement skills throughout the work. There are some lovely poetic words, some haunting songs and a whole lot of athletic physical ability on display as each moment unfolds.
Scott is joined by Samuel Beazley, Adriane Daff, Emma Harrison, Romain Hassanin, Anusha Thomas and Julia Robertson on stage, each bringing their own unique personality to the work yet somehow still managing to form a cohesive and satisfying collective.
This is not a performance to be explained – particularly by a reviewer. It is one that should be felt. We are not watching a story as much as being taken on a journey of memory and heart. It is best if you leave your preconceived notions of theatre at the door and allow yourself to move through the space with these welcoming artists.
Read: Theatre Review: Welcome to Your New Life, State Theatre Company SA
Relax, you don’t have to “participate”, but you are encouraged to engage both your body and mind. It’s not confronting, but it is occasionally dark and beautiful and funny and innocent and probing. You may be surprised what you discover about yourself if you open up to the experience on offer.
The Lost Boys
Reginald Theatre, Seymour Centre
Devised by Little Eggs Collective, inspired by Peter and Wendy by JM Barrie
Directors: Craig Baldwin and Eliza Scott
Set and Lighting Designer; Ryan McDonald
Costume Designer: Esther Zhong
Set Design Associate: Bella Rose
Assistant Director: Adam Yoon
Assistant Producer: Claire Holland
Cast: Samuel Beazley, Adriane Daff, Emma Harrison, Romain Hassanin, Julia Robertson, Eliza Scott, Anusha Thomas
Tickets: $39- $49
The Lost Boys will be performed until 1 December 2023.
